Ed here: Marty died peacefully this afternoon in his sleep at home in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His family was with him.We'll be heading to Green Bay tomorrow for the funeral Monday morning. Here are two e mails I received shortly after I sent out the notice.
-----------------------FROM MAX ALLAN COLLINS
Marty was a fine guy and a great editor, but more than that a real friend.
As Ed knows, I had a disastrous week some years ago -- on the same day, I lost both the DICK TRACY comic strip and had my then-current Nate Heller contract cancelled.
I went to Marty and Ed, and said I needed help. They gave me enough short story assignments to keep me afloat financially for six months, and to just keep me feeling half-way decent about myself as a professional.
That was possibly the nicest thing anybody ever did for me in this business. I owe them both.
Beyond that, Marty was warm, funny and smart. It's always great to work with somebody enthuastic, and Marty always was. I know that Ed has lost a brother, and my condolences go out to him as well as Marty's family.
This business...this world...is suddenly a smaller, shabbier place.
M.A.C.
----------------------FROM RUSSELL DAVIS
There are many people who help us on our journey. Without Marty (and Ed),
I'm not sure mine would have ever gotten started at all. Marty gave so many
people a hand up, a chance, an opportunity. I'm confident that I'm not alone
when I say that he was a genuine prince of a man - and one of the last
remaining princes in the business. I had the honor of giving him one of the
inaugural SFWA Solstice Awards, and he was a dear friend in an industry that
often specializes in grinding people under for a buck.
I know that his passing will impact many people, and his absence will be
felt for many years to come. I miss him already.
Russell
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19 comments:
I am so, so sad to hear this. Although I never met the man, your esteem for him and his place in crime fiction publications was wonderful.
Ed, so very sorry to hear this. We've lost a great member of the community and you've lost a great friend. My sincerest condolences to you.
Terrill
I never met him, but he always seems like a larger-than-life, ubiquitous presence in the field. I'm sorry to learn of his passing.
Sad, sad, sad news.
I've had a long relationship with Marty and his merry crew at Tekno Books, and I'm just so saddened to hear this. Tekno Books have literally published scores of my stories, in a variety of anthologies, and I owe Marty and everyone else so very very much... what sad news, what a loss of a true gentleman and giant in the field. Damn.
God's love and blessing to him and his family. Just this afternoon I received a package from Tekno Books in the mail. It is the audio version of an anthology in which I have a story.
And once again I had the fleeting thought about how much Mr. Greenberg has done for short story writers. May he rest in eternal peace.
Very sad news. He was a good dude. Like I said to Rick, between Ralph Vicenanza last fall and now this...just sucks.
Very sad news. Condolences to his friends and family. My first published short story was for him. I suspect a lot of people could say the same.
Condolences to those who knew him best. I never had the pleasure of meeting the man, but his name is all over my office in the many fine anthologies and books he had a guiding hand in.
Ron C.
This is a tremendous loss, and I am so sorry to hear of Marty's death. He was a most giving editor and a truly nice man. I'll miss him.
My condolences to his family and to you, Ed. I know he was a dear, dear friend.
Judi
My condolences to his family, and to all his many friends.
Such sad news. I was so fortunate to meet Marty Greenberg years ago, and he gave me, as he did so many other authors, a break and a boost when he bought my stories. The anthologies from Tekno Books were always a prize, and I will miss him.
The world is getting smaller, and sadder....
I never met the man, but I feel as though I knew him. His name is on scores of books on my shelves, and it's been a tremendous honor for me to have my stories in anthologies with his name on them.
My best to his friends, family, and all the fine folks at Tekno.
-Matthew
I am devastated by the loss of Marty. I am so stunned I still can't believe it. He was one of the best ever and I am going to miss him so.
Billie Sue Mosiman
I don't think it's possible to quantify the effect he had on my career.
Besides which, he was just a sweetie.
I just heard of Marty's passing today and now there's a hole in my soul. Such a lovely man. He began doing SF anthologies with my ex-husband back in the 1970s, and one day I asked him if we might do a mystery one as (sorry) SF or Fantasy will never be "my thing" and we ended up doing 16 of them, many with Isaac. And this was my intro into the "mystery field." He was so good natured and generous. I think he did 200 books with my ex-husband; and it always was a joyful thing to hear his distinctive voice on the phone. Last time we spoke was maybe two years ago, and he gave me advice. It had been years, but they eclipsed in a moment. Oh, Marty, so many will miss you. I cried when I heard.
Sad news. My condolences to his family and to you, Ed.
I remember moderating a "new writers" panel with him and Dawn Dunn at CONTEXT (Columbus Ohio "literary" science fiction convention) many years ago. He was an irreplaceable asset and a gentleman. My condolences to his family and any who've worked with him--he will be missed.
I first met Marty at the Toronto Bouchercon, where I moderated a panel with panelists who had done reference books. Marty was a delight, and I never quite accepted that he had offered to be on the panel of a newbie like me. It was loads of fun, and I've never forgotten the energy, humor, and warmth he shared from the minute he walked into the room.
He started FiveStar in part to give a home to writers whose sales were modest and were dumped by their publishers. It remains one of the most writer-centered publishing houses I've ever encountered.
Marty will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to Roz and their family.
I'm sorry to hear of his passing. My condolences to you and Marty's family.
Elaine Ash
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